Riding to the City...with the family right behind me (in the car)...




Once I had all my gear together, I ventured to the big smoke for a quick test ride. My family followed closely and I got a little self conscious and took off every now and then, only to feel a pinch of guilt, which made me slow down enough to stay in sight. I let them overtake me on the highway and at the next service station they filled up and so did I. Somehow I remembered two things:

•zero your trip counter and
•turn your fuel line back off reserve.

Where did THAT come from??? Those deep, dark recesses ... alzheimer's?!! I guess you can't UNLEARN these facts of bike life. My confidence level rose to almost HIGH. That's when it happened... caught by the red light, I sat on the outside lane, waiting for the change, when I felt the bike running uneven... momentarily I attempted to give it some revs, thinking that I may have had the misfortune of acquiring dirty petrol and a quick blast willlllllll.
Nothing!
Dead!

I already envisaged how I was attempting to keep calm whilst abusing the previous owner for selling me a lemon...@#*!!!

Of cause I got a dosage of your average P-Plate and 4WD drivers, who ignored my attempts to roll across the inside lane onto the footpath and twice I almost got run over by those that were in such a rush that they even had to punch their horn. Aaaaah - I remembered the food chain, the pecking order, yes, I guess it was payback time...



-and yes... it was the fuel thing...I had turned it to OFF.